History of O&P

The professional of Prosthetists and Orthotists have a long history of helping people. Archeologists have uncovered specially fabricated braces.
Egypt that date back to 2500BC. Later there are records that some blacksmiths and armor makers became known for fabricating devices for injured people as the need grew due to improvements  in health care and increasing life expectancy craftsman began to specialize in fabrication to devices. These specialists tended to come from trade backgrounds such as ship builders and metal workers.
Some where around the turn of 20th century becoming a brace maker or limb maker was a trade in its own site? These men had on the job training in fabrication and little formal or clinical training.
Major advances in Orthotics and Prosthetics resulted from the enormous increase of patients due to first and second world wars and the polio epidemics of 1940’s and 1950 have increased demand lead to improved technology in components, materials and clinical skill.
Particular water shad moments for the profession came firstly with the use of composite materials such as fiber glass and then again with the intro of high temp thermoplastics in early 1970’s. Those two new materials opened up extra ordinary possibilities and allowed Orthotics to assist in conditions that had previously been thought impractical.
The new demands forced Orthotics to improve their clinical knowledge and skills.
Orthotists are now particularly concerned with biomechanical assessment of the patient, developing appropriate prescriptions, design and fitting of devices.